We are in the kitchen today and it is filled with so many wonderful smells. What better way to celebrate all that we are grateful for this year. Our blessings are too many to list. We are sending warm thoughts to all those we love, near and far.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! Remember, there is always something to be thankful for, no matter how small.

Tomorrow will have an island. Before night
I always find it. Then on to the next island.
These places hidden in the day separate
and come forward if you beckon.
But you have to know they are there before they exist.

Some time there will be a tomorrow without any island.
So far, I haven’t let that happen, but after
I’m gone others may become faithless and careless.
Before them will tumble the wide unbroken sea,
and without any hope they will stare at the horizon.

So to you, Friend, I confide my secret:
to be a discoverer you hold close whatever
you find, and after a while you decide
what it is. Then, secure in where you have been,
you turn to the open sea and let go.

William Stafford

I made an English favorite for dinner last weekend, with onion gravy and peas and carrots. Even though the Yorkshire pudding did not rise as much as before, it is still quite possibly my favorite thing! I am also quite happy to live in a city where you can get easy access to fresh English style bangers*.

Thanks to Elise’s recipe here.

*According to Wisegeek.com, “Bangers are a type of sausage common to the UK. They may sometimes be called British Bangers, but this is somewhat inaccurate, since the Irish as well as the English enjoy bangers. Bangers are often an essential part of pub food, as they are quick to prepare. They’re also a frequently prepared part of dishes made in homes.

Bangers get their name from the sausage’s predilection toward bursting or “banging” open during high frying temperatures. In fact, to avoid losing some of the sausage, bangers may be boiled first, and sliced lengthwise prior to frying or grilling.

Bangers are white in appearance, and are composed primarily of pork butt, a small amount of breadcrumbs, and water. They are normally pleasantly spiced with both sweet and savory spices. The average banger will have both salt and pepper, as well as sage, ginger and mace or allspice. Spices differ depending upon the brand.”

I wanted to make something easy for dinner one weekday morning and found this recipe waiting in my inbox from a Dinner Tonight with Everyday Food email newsletter. I recommend this recipe to anyone who loves these Mediterranean flavors. I did not brown the chicken as much as I would have liked but it was still quite delicious!

Yes, you can always get a traditional toast rack but look at this modern wooden toast rack. On a rainy day like this, a pot of tea and jam and butter on toast is lovely.

I have always thought this was a great idea for cheese service but I am not prepared to spend that much on a serving piece.

While at the local reuse store, I found a 12 by 12″ slate tile that will work great for me. We had gone to find some slate for our project, the local reuse store has great selection of old school chalkboards which work perfectly. The best thing was that they gave it to me free with the slate purchase and I’m reusing something.

The right to vote did not come about easily. Many have fought hard so that a lot of Americans are free to vote. Please vote, your country needs you to participate – think about the future of your children and their children.

Image by Christopher David Ryan

I tried this recipefrom the NY Times last night and it turned out beautifully. I didn’t take a picture but you will believe me, won’t you? I cheated a little and used a pre-made graham cracker crust but I sprinkled some cinnamon and lime zest on before pre-baking it. I am sure you will be rewarded if you make crust from scratch.

It’s never easy to find a good pumpkin (except for those small sugar pumpkins) to make puree for pie but the flesh of kabocha is tender, smooth and luscious. Once blended with the cream cheese (I used neufchatel), it made a wonderful custard filling for the pie.

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